Learning to do something with stuff you used to pitch

[New-mom-to-be]

My 99 cent store had these Libby jars of sliced mango in syrup and my son loves mango, so I bought two.

He finished off a jar in 5 days. Had all the light syrup left, so I strained it, and then froze it in ice cube trays for sweetening iced tea.

Gives a nice, not too sweet flavor if you use 2 cubes and the rest regular ice

[frugalwarrior]

That may be the trouble. I don't throw anything away perse. My parents were depression kids. We cut cards up into xmas tags w/ pinking shears
-every plastic container had potential to grow seeds in
-screw containers held coin collections
-prescription bottles held coins
-rubber bands were save off papers
-the pins from the collars of new shirts used to sew w/
-diaper wipes boxes held sequins and craft items
-my baby dresser was recommitioned as a craft station for my DD
-the cardboard inserts from shirts were drawing paper
-plastic milk carton-held oil to take to gas station to recycle
-my dad once made a deck out of shipping crates
-my mom cut the buttons off damaged clothes and removed zippers too
-damaged clothes became rags and so did towels
-we saved cherry juice from marachino cherry and the juice from canned pineapple for cakes

I used to say as a kid "very little come in and almost nothing goes out".

[mauimagic]

Frugalwarrior - I still do some of those things today!!

[lilk]

I use my old paper grocery bags for sewing patterns. You can also use them instead of paper towels to drain your bacon on. I'm getting ready to repurpose some jars, (free from a yard sale) to put homemade cleaning solutions in. Thanks for sharing.

[frugalwarrior]

thanks lilk
-drain southern fried (alabama) chicken
I still do most of them too.LOL

[Brat]

pickled beets..When the jar is empty of beets boil eggs and peel them and put them into the juice of a few days..Really good.

I too use the canned fruit juices in cakes and in jello.

Dh and I also used wooden pallets that we got from a factory that was free to build cabients out of..even made the counter top from them.

I do a lot of things that have already been posted.

Packing stuff that you get in shipments..Use in the bottom of large flower pots for dranage. Put a piece of grown faberic scrap to keep dirt out of it and then plant the pot.

[mom2three]

Use the meshy thingies from onions and such to put over your dishcloth to make a scrubby.

Make a game of concentration for the kids with orange juice concentrate lids or use as large "coins" to put into a slot in the top of an ice cream container for baby.

Save boxboard for kids to paint on.

Crochet pads for kids to sit on from old stained clothes or make memory quilts/T-shirt quilts

[pollypurebred39]

I think that labels make great art and have kept them on occassion to create. Like Campbells soup labels, or packets of seeds.

Often we'll have a piece of clothing that got a stain or a rip that can't be fixed but the pattern is just too fabulous to throw away. Those make great fabric backings for art, or sometimes they themselves can become art if cut to size and framed behind glass. I once framed a collection of old dollies (those decorative pieces that you set on tables under candles/flowers/or whatever and are crocheted from thread) and used an old skirt for the background. They turned out great.

I have a dollar store gift bag that my Mom gave a gift to my youngest in last week for his birthday. It's a fabulous wildlife print. I'm going to make a picture with it using leaves, and what ever else I find that cordinates for his room. My Mom has a bunch of frames she does want anymore, the bag is trash (if not used again) the rest is just collected from the yard or where ever. Free Art!

Old wallpaper rolls I use to line cupboards and drawers.

I save the heavy duty medicine measuring cups from medicine bottles and use them for measuring in my kitchen when I need a teaspoon or a tablespoon of something.

I have a clear plastic shoe rack that has pockets that are perfect for odds and ends, so I hung it up on the inside of our coat closet door. Instead of a junk drawer I have a junk door! Except unlike most junk drawers in stays organized. I keep all those things that most would trash, like twisty ties, rubber bands, safety pins, ect.

I have a button jar. It's just a cermic crock that sits on our hutch, but if any clothing come in the house with an extra button package attached to it, or extra beads, that's where they go. Same as old worn out clothings buttons.

I reuse plastic milk jugs to make iced tea.

and I've been known to save old mason jelly jars, and big mason jars to use for glasses. I even fill each person their own jar/with lid, of iced tea or ice water when we are leaving the house so no one just "HAS" to stop and get a drink at McDonalds!

I saved old squirt bottles to use in the shower. Baby oil is very hard to pour just a little bit. In an old dish detergent squirt bottle it is far more controlled= less waste! and you can get the oil on your back without help.

[AspiringToBeFrugal]

These are such fabulous ideas! I have been trying to be better about repurposing "trash" over the last few months but these ideas are just the motivation I need to step things up!

I do, however, do a really good job of separating trash from what can be recycled (we have free recycling here!) so I know some of our stuff is not ending up in a landfill.

[peanut]

I cut up old towels to use as dishcloths now.

I also use the juice from concentrate from the canned fruit as part of the sugar and liquid requirement in muffins.

I still cut the zippers from old clothes to use in new.

I also cut up the old clothes when I see the fabric might be useful in another project.

[MommyBliss]

You guys have some GREAT ideas.